Mondo Munchies

I can't quite figure out why this photo is posting sideways. On my desktop it's right side up, but oh well.

Today I'd like to talk to you about strange snack foods. In Greece we have many oregano flavored snack foods, most notably chips. I recognize this is not American "normal" for snack foods. But I think the oddest thing I've encountered yet is fish flavored snack bits mixed with sweet snack bits in something that approaches trail mix.

After a short Internet search, I discovered that in Japan, they apparently have many fish-flavored snack foods — like the one you see pictured here. This little innocent package with the strange fish with giant eyes on the cover (a hint that much oddness was enclosed, I think) set me off on this search. My friend Evy was kind enough to send it from Japan. (She's such a rebel. She sent it without filling out a customs form. Rebel.) I opened the package last night to have with a beer (as per her suggestion) and thought, "Hmm. Smells like fish." The cat was immediately interested in what I was doing.

I took a bite and thought, "Oh. It TASTES like fish." Then I turned on the lamp next to me and looked at what I was eating and realized it had little bits of dried fish in it. But it also had what seemed to be nuts and something sweet. I can't get over how odd it was. I found this listed on the Internet and while not quite right, it's very close to what I experienced:

Ajigonomi: this handy bagged mix contains everything you need for nutrition from a basic meal: rice crackers, tiny dried fish, peanut flavoring, and no mess! You'll find this in bright red and yellow packaging, sometimes with picture of chilies on it if it's the spicy version.

So tell me, what other strange snack foods from other countries are out there for me to try? I'll keep a running tally of odd foods I've snacked on and how they measure up again' one another.